Legacies of Arthur Vandenberg: A Conversation about Politics and Consensus with Hank Meijer

Arthur H. Vandenberg, former Republican Senator, was the model consensus builder, forming coalitions that continue in today's political policies.

The idea that a Senator--Republican or Democrat--would put the greater good of the country ahead of party seems nearly impossible to imagine in our current climate of gridlock and divisiveness. But Arthur H. Vandenberg (1884-1951), a Republican Senator from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was the model of a consensus builder, and the coalitions he spearheaded continue to form the foundation of American foreign and domestic policy today.

Hendrik Meijer, author of Arthur Vandenberg: The Man in the Middle of the American Century, talks about Vandenberg's role in the American Century. As part of the event, Henry Institute Director Kevin den Dulk and Meijer explored themes and threads in the distinctive culture of political leaders in west Michigan, from Vandenberg and Gerald Ford, to Vern Ehlers, Steve Monsma, and Paul Henry.